Elimu Bora Working Group, a coalition of civil rights movements, is calling for an immediate stop of the allegedly illegal salary deductions from teachers who are members of the Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA).
At a press conference in Nairobi, the education lobby group insisted on a thorough audit, criminal investigation, and a full refund of billions of shillings that have been deducted from the affected teachers.
According to the group’s statement, deductions have been made to the KEWOTA account without the proper legal backing or the teachers’ consent.
In a statement, Elimu Bora Group contended that the illegal deductions were just one of the tactics of a grand plan to dismantle the established teachers’ unions and at the same time steal the money from the members who are unaware of this.
Furthermore, the group pointed out that the actions, if true, not only go against labour rights but also lead to a decline in trust among the education sector.
The lobby group has called on the relevant authorities, including law enforcement agencies, to step up their activities and bring to book those who perpetrated this.
Besides, they have challenged teachers to be on the lookout and even demand transparency when it comes to any deductions being made on their salaries.